Athens vs Sparta?

Question

Can someone hlp me with this? I can't find how Athens and Sparta differed economically... does anyone know?

Answer 1

The best way to approach this question arise during the Peloponnesian war which I am guessing such a comparison occurs. It has been mentioned that the Spartans were highly conservative and had a dislike of foreign policy. I think that is a image they may wish to convey rather than reality. According to Lykurgus reforms in Sparta (see Plutarch: Life of Lykurgus- in real life the book should be read with a Roman counter part but most publishers have published them as individual works) that makes Sparta a military population. Sparta has 3 main classes (and a whole lot of subsets) the Spartiates, Periokoi and Helots. The Spartiates had full political rights. Under Lykurgus reform to become a Spartiate he must go under the Agoge (Military training) system and have enough land to pay his mess hall (syssteon) dues. This was done through land distribution (this is the backbone of Spartan economy) which Lykurgus divided. Sparta was a purely military state and to work a Spartiates land was the Helots. The Helot were not owned by the Spartiate but were state owned slaves. Lykurgus made sure that this system worked and tried to make greed no longer a factor in Sparta by effectively dystroying outside trade as Sparta had an iron currency. If one takes a first glance look Lykurgus dream of a pure Sparta was bound to collapse and the problem was land distribution. As mentioned for a Spartan to become a Spartiate he need to pay his dues from the crops yielded from his land, as the population rose and money began to pour into Sparta (post victory over Athens and from Persia) the Iron currency was somewhat abandoned (Aristotle Politiks) and according to Aristotle the land was in the hands of a few and there were lesser and lesser Spartiates. The number dropping to 1000 when there should be 10,0000. I said earlier there was a population increase and you may be wondering why I seem to have contradicted myself. A Spartan who had under gone the agoge but could not become a Spartiate due to the fees he paid became a Hyperdemodeis and did not have full citizen rights, this class increase to the point of Civil strife in Sparta. Militarily the Spartan army consisted of Spartiates, Neodemodeis (free helots) and Allies and many campaigns were threatened by few Spartiate (Agislaos took 20 Spartiates with him to invade Persia).
Politically the Spartans were highly astute as seen in the kings peace (Xenophon) and the Peloponnesian league.

This question concerns economics and I will spare the details of examples of Spartas political alliances (that include Persia).
I have discussed Lykurgus as being the ultimate Spartan society and then I have paid attention to the truth. Spartas economy rested on Land distribution that required reform ( Plutarchs: Life of Kleomenes III and Agis IV).

Athens during its golden age recieved its money from trade and tribute. It has been noted that Sparta is a land power that consisted of the large area of Messenia and Lakonia, Athens is a small city state in comparison with little land. Athens primary wealth came from its sea power. The Athenians retracted during the Peloponnesian war into thier city and relied on trade. Athens had lead the Greeks against the Persian wars after Platea and the result was the Ionian league put money into the Delian treasury to fight Persia. Athens defeated Persia and when the Greek allies tried to stop paying money (the first being Naxos) then the Athenians would not let them (military force). The result was the Delian league and unlike the Spartan Peloponnesian league the Athenians made thier allies pay tribute (The Spartan treaty required Military aid when demanded). The Athenians controlled most sea bound trade (with exception of Korinth) and sanctions by the Athenians could cripple a Greek State (the Megaran decree). The Athenians wer less innovated when it came to foreign policy than the Spartans due to thier highly aggressive stance and Sparta had a more open foreign policy seeing it eventually ally with Persia to defeat Athens.

It is important to note while Athens had a quasi- democratic system; Sparta had an oligarchy (ephors) and two kings (Agiad and Eurypontid lines) , the ephors controlled the civil sign and the Kings jointly controlled military.

In short: The height of the Athenian econmoy relied on extorting money from the Delian league and its control over trade in Greece the result is that it recieved large amounts of cash. Sparta had little economy and the Lykurgan system required land to sustain a military farmed on the backs of the Helots.

Answer 2

Sparta was based solely on their military where Athens was known as the center of wisdom and their economy's were based this way to it would be like comparing Yale to west point

Answer 3

Athens would be more congenial, and would probably come more naturally to a free trading and self-indulgent democracy with a robust belief in the merits and survivability of its own culture and a strong naval tradition. Athens would seek to work with allies (although forcing them was sometimes the correct term) and partners in collaborative ventures with a common purpose, from matters of defence to international legal structures.

Sparta: political and military culture that leans to the fortress mentality and uncompromising attitudes. Unilateralist, suspicious of the erosions of national sovereignty that might flow from cooperation with other states, and would prefer clients and satellites to allies that might some day challenge Sparta's primacy. Spartans were absolutely debarred by law from trade or manufacture, which consequently rested in the hands of the perioeci (free but non-citizen inhabitants), and were forbidden (in theory) to possess either gold or silver. Spartan currency consisted of bars of iron, thus making thievery and foreign commerce very difficult and discouraging the accumulation of riches. Wealth was, in theory at least, derived entirely from landed property, and consisted in the annual return made by the Helots (serfs), who cultivated the plots of ground allotted to the Spartans.

Answer 4

Athens pros: Athenian students do their projects by them-selves and do not procrastinate till the last minute. Spartan cons: They don't do their projects, ask for other people to do it for them, and wait till the last minute. Athens cons: They're not strong warriors Sparta Pros: They are strong warriors and are too busy body building to do homework

Answer 5

sparta was governed more through military leaders, while athens was dabbling with democratic style of functioning

Answer 6

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